Joe Robinson

Born on the outskirts of Motown and raised in the shadow of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Joe has been writing about rock music since interviewing Shudder to Think's Craig Wedren for his high school newspaper -- back when bands like Shudder to Think were recording for major labels. He's written for the Cleveland Free Times, Alternative Press, the Village Voice, SuicideGirls and a variety of other online publications and blogs, some of which have not existed in years. He started with Townsquare in 2011 writing for Loudwire and Ultimate Classic Rock, and has been with Diffuser.fm since it launched in spring 2012.

Hulk Hogan really rocked it in the ring back in the day, but did you know that the former wrestling champ almost rocked out with Metallica? The Hulkster, who before his professional wrestling career played bass in a Floridian rock band called Ruckus, claims that drummer Lars Ulrich once offered him …

How did Mastodon end up scoring noted "lowbrow" pop-surrealist artist Tim Biskup to direct the video for 'Dry Bone Valley,' the latest single off their 'The Hunter' album? It turns out that not only is he a good buddy of the band's, but his artwork is highly regarded in camp Mastodon. &quo…

Soundgarden hit the road last year on their first tour since going on hiatus in 1997, but plans for a new album from the grunge goliaths seem to keep getting pushed back. Last March they revealed that they had about a dozen songs "kind of ready to go," yet it's nearly a year later and no r…

Enter below and if you win you'll get two tickets to any show* (except one, see details below) on Van Halen's upcoming 2012 North American tour and a copy of their new CD, 'A Different Kind of Truth,' courtesy of Live Nation, Ultimate Classic Rock and Loudwire. VH kick off the much-anticipated tour …

Mastodon have unleashed a video for 'Dry Bone Valley,' the second official single off their fifth album, last year's 'The Hunter.' The video was directed by Tim Biskup, a visual artist best known for his work in the so-called lowbrow pop-surrealist genre who has mostly worke…

Are you ready for some fantasy football? Jerry Cantrell is best known as the scorching guitarist of Alice in Chains, but some fans also know him for one of his favorite hobbies: fanstasy football. For three years now, Cantrell has run the AIC & Friends Fantasy Football Charity League, which feat…

Pearl Jam celebrated a special anniversary in September when they rolled into Alpine Valley's Music Theater in Wisconsin for their PJ20 festival, and now they have something special planned for needy children in the area. The band has pledged to donate $50,000 to Blessings in a Backpack, an organiza…

Mastodon and Feist, together at last? Consider it one of the more intriguing collaborations in recent memory. The Southern metal mavens and the Canadian indie-pop chanteuse reportedly are looking to team up for a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single that will feature each artist covering a song b…

When it was announced that Nickelback would perform during halftime of the Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions NFL game on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, a group of 'Back haters started an online petition seeking a different act for entertainment. It's just the latest in a steady stream of disses dire…

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has joined an extensive list of artists who have signed up to join Occupy Musicians, a newly-launched online initiative for "sound engineers, sound artists, producers, DJs, instrumentalists, composers, and lyricists" who support the Oc…